Maryland burglary suspects dragged police officer across highway in stolen church van: authorities

Two burglary suspects in Maryland were charged with the attempted murder of a police officer on Sunday after dragging the officer across a highway in a stolen church van during their failed getaway, authorities said.

Two officers responded just before 2 a.m. to a possible burglary in progress at a closed gas station in the 7600 block of Crain Highway, when they found a burgundy van backed up to the front door of the business, the Prince George’s County Police Department said.

Police said that a van had been used in another burglary in the area just an hour earlier. 

As the two officers began to investigate, two men ran from the store and jumped into the van, according to authorities. 

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One officer gave verbal commands to stop and tried to remove the driver, identified as 51-year-old Dennis Burkett, from the seat, police said. 

Burkett allegedly refused to stop and instead began to speed away with the officer caught in the driver’s side door. Police said the second officer shot discharged his firearm, striking Burkett.

However, Burkett continued to speed out of the parking lot and across four lanes of Crain Highway, according to police, and dragged the officer until he fell from the van on South Osborne Road.

Burkett and the other suspect, identified as 50-year-old Robert Burkett Jr., led officers on a 30-minute car chase until the van became disabled, authorities said.

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Both men were then taken into custody, with Dennis Burkett receiving treatment at a hospital. The injured officer was also treated at a hospital for minor injuries and was later released.

Police said that Robert Burkett later admitted to the gas station burglary, fleeing from police and stealing the van from a church in Clinton late Saturday night.

Investigators discovered a pry bar and other burglary tools at the gas station and were looking into whether the suspects were connected to more than a dozen other burglaries in the county.

Both suspects are facing a slew of charges, including second-degree attempted murder, assault, breaking and entering and auto theft. They are each being held without bond.